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Obama Backs National Campaign Against Sexual Assault

September 19, 2014 3:23 PM

VOA News

President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden, left, outlines the "It's On Us" campaign to help colleges and universities to prevent and respond to sexual assault on campus, at the White House in Washington, Sept. 19, 2014.

A new campaign in the United States to raise awareness about sexual assault kicked off Friday with a boost from President Barack Obama, who emphasized individual responsibility in preventing the crime on college campuses.

"We are here to say, today, it's not on you. This is not your fight alone. This is on all of us, everyone of us, to fight campus sexual assault. You are not alone, and we have your back, and we are going to organize, campus by campus, city by city, state by state, this entire country is going to make sure that we understand what this is all about and we are going to put a stop to it," said President Obama.

Along with Obama, TV and film stars joined the "It's On Us" ad campaign that encourages college students to be alert and intervene when they see the warning signs of a potential assault.

An estimated 1 in 5 college women in the U.S. are sexual assault victims.

How college campuses handle these cases is under scrutiny across the US, with widespread allegations that administrators are not identifying, prosecuting, or removing assault suspects at schools.

The president said the campaign will work to identify the scope of the problem on campuses; engage and raise awareness among men on campus, help schools respond effectively to assaults, and improve federal enforcement efforts.